FW: Navy Times Early Bird Brief

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Robert Serge

VVA 17 Member

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To all my fellow veterans friends and family my we all remember 

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From: no-reply@navytimes.com
To: rserge1@outlook.com
Subject: Navy Times Early Bird Brief
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2014 04:47:53 -0600

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COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES
September 9, 2014 EARLY BIRD BRIEF Get the most comprehensive aggregation of defense news delivered by the world's largest independent newsroom covering military and defense. ADVERTISEMENT	ADVERTISEMENT TODAY'S TOP 5 1. Obama Looks at Expanding Airstrikes in Iraq (Wall Street Journal) The Obama administration is considering a major expansion of the scope of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq to target the logistics hubs and supply lines of militant Islamic State forces, in operations intended to help Iraq's new government retake lost territory.  2. McDonald launches 100-day VA reform plan (Military Times) Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald said the recurring complaint he heard during a month-long listening tour across America is that his department's culture is still too closed and unfriendly.  3. What Obama Needs To Tell the American People About the Islamic State (Martha Roby, R-Ala., in Defense One) President Barack Obama is set to announce his plans this week for dealing with the growing threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL. I am glad the president has chosen to directly address the American people about this important issue.  4. Obama, Congress in legal gray area over powers to fight Islamic State (Military Times) When President Obama delivers his speech Wednesday on how he plans to have the U.S. combat the Islamic State, he may have to explain whether he plans to ask Congress for authorization to widen military strikes against the group.  5. Obama Hosts Foreign Policy Experts, Laying Groundwork for Speech on ISIS (New York Times) In an effort to win over elite opinion before a speech to the nation this week on Iraq and Syria, President Obama played host at a White House dinner on Monday evening for a bipartisan group of prominent foreign policy experts.  INDUSTRY Analysis: More Gaps Found In US Contracts Website (Defense News) Scathing as it was, the Government Accountability Office's (GAO's) recent report on the gaps and deficiencies of USAspending.gov left out a few things - problems that may give defense companies pause about relying too much on the government transparency website for business intelligence.  JLTV Vendors: We're Ready for Production (National Defense) As the joint light tactical vehicle program heads toward the end of its engineering, manufacturing and development phase, the US military is testing each competitors' manufacturing prowess.  General Dynamics to consolidate business units (C4ISR & Networks) General Dynamics is combining two units into one effective at the beginning of 2015, according to a company announcement today.  U.S. Report Rips Boeing, Raytheon Quality Controls On Missile Defense (Reuters) The Pentagon's internal watchdog on Monday said it found numerous quality control problems during an investigation of the troubled "kill vehicle", or warhead, built by Raytheon Co for the Boeing Co-led U.S. missile defense system.  Lockheed Martin, Saab Sensis await Air Force decision on $1.3 billion radar contract (Syracuse.com) Two Central New York defense contractors could learn as soon as this week whether the U.S. Air Force will select their bid to build its next generation of long-range radars.  Turkey in Talks with Eurosam for Air Defense Deal (Defense News) The Turkish president has announced that Ankara opened talks with Eurosam, maker of the Aster 30, to build an air defense system one day after a Defense News story reported that Turkey was distancing itself from a Chinese option.  CONGRESS US House Could Vote This Week To Avert Government Shutdown (Defense News) The US House soon could vote on a spending measure that would keep the Pentagon and other federal agencies funded while lawmakers hit the campaign trail.  Obama to push leaders for $5B counterterrorism relief fund (The Hill) President Obama is pushing congressional leaders to authorize a broad counterterrorism relief fund that could be used to support operations against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria.  Sen. Nelson's Syria Force Authorization Would Expire in Three Years (Defense News) A US Senate measure that would give congressional approval for US strikes inside Syria never mentions that country and would expire after three years.  Lawmakers offer bills authorizing use of military force against ISIS (The Hill) Lawmakers in the House and Senate on Monday introduced separate bills authorizing military action against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  NSA Reform Will Likely Wait Until After the Election (DefenseOne) A bill that would curtail the government's broad surveillance authority is unlikely to earn a vote in Congress before the November midterms, and it might not even get a vote during the postelection lame-duck session.  White House to brief Congress on ISIS (The Hill) Administration officials will brief senators on Wednesday, according to Senate aides from both parties. The House briefing will come the following day, a Democratic aide confirmed.  Islamic State Dominates the Post-Recess Conversation in Congress (DefenseOne) Several lawmakers have pledged to introduce legislation upon their return on the authorization for the use of force against the Islamic State. These would join five other measures, already introduced, that seek to address the president's war powers authority.  Levin: US, allies 'cannot defeat ISIS alone' (The Hill) Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) on Monday pushed President Obama to build a broad coalition to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and urged Iraqi leaders to form a unity government.  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT Hagel To Continue Push for Pentagon Reforms Amid Global Threats (Defense News) US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he plans to forge ahead with bureaucratic Pentagon reform initiatives despite the uptick of global threats and military activities in recent months.  DARPA tries for satellite-fixing robots (C4ISR & Networks) DARPA wants to develop space robotics to fix satellites in geosynchronous orbit.  Simulators Solving Cyber Training Challenges (Defense News) Soldiers on the battlefield, with bombs exploding nearby and rifle fire coming from somewhere in the middle distance, is in no position to learn how to use the computing and communications systems that their lives might depend on. The time for training-thoroughly-is long before their boots hit the dirt.  Report faults military sex-offender tracking (San Diego Union-Tribune) The Defense Department doesn't know how many registered sex offenders have access to military bases and lacks a departmentwide sex offender registry, a new report says.  Military academies, including AFA, face criticism for using prep schools to fill athletic teams (Colorado Springs Gazette) The academy touts its academic standing and the quality of those who apply. High test scores, great grades and a pile of community service are the norm. But there's a back door, and it's open wide for athletes.  Steadfast Javelin shifts training from Afghanistan to Russia threat (Stars & Stripes) A multinational exercise conducted here and in Latvia over the past few days is an example of the kind of training NATO will be undertaking as it shifts focus from Afghanistan to containing the threat from Russia.  US weighs security needs at overseas embassies (Associated Press) The Obama administration is directing all U.S. diplomatic posts overseas to review security and the State Department says it will give additional help to embassies and consulates in need.  Murky Special Ops Have Become Corporate Bonanza, Says Report (The Intercept) Researcher Crofton Black, who also works as an investigator for human rights group Reprieve, was able to dig through the troves of data and identify the beneficiaries of almost $13 billion worth of spending by USSOCOM over the five-year period.   ARMY FVL Helicopters: How To Avoid F-35 Snafu (Breaking Defense) Three battle-scarred acquisition experts - including the admiral who turned the F-35 around - advised a young officer from the Future Vertical Lift initiative, who was furiously taking notes.  Major milestones ahead for West Point grad's brewery (Army Times) After a successful summer launch party netted nearly $5,000 for charity, the former Army officer behind the Service Brewing Co. has two more big events on his calendar.  Geospatial Center Drills Down On GIS For The Army (C4ISR & Networks) Army Geospatial Center Director Joseph Fontanella is responsible for providing geospatial expertise across multiple customer communities and technical disciplines ranging from operations, intelligence and acquisition to research and development, and modeling and simulation.   Makers of Army helicopter sued in fatal Ga. crash (Army Times) A lawsuit filed Monday blames civilian makers of an Army Black Hawk helicopter for a fatal crash in Georgia eight months ago, saying manufacturers failed to install a tiny part that caused the tail rotor to malfunction and sent the aircraft spinning out of control.  NAVY Greenert: Navy Eyes Constructive Relationship with China (National Defense) The U.S. pivot to the Asia-Pacific region is not a response to rising tension with China, but rather a strategic move to encourage international collaboration on trade and security, US Navy CNO Adm. Jonathan Greenert said Sept. 8.  Chinese Reporters Press US Navy Chief: P-8s, Go Home! (Breaking Defense) A tag-team of Chinese reporters pressed the normally soft-spoken Chief of Naval Operations into making some fairly blunt statements on US-China relations this morning.  After 23 moves, Navy wife awaits retirement (Navy Times) There was the time in Japan when Sally Carpenter got the chicken pox so bad she had to be hospitalized. New to the country and knowing no one, she relied on other military wives to care for her children because her husband, Steve, was deployed.  Author: What Navy SEALs can teach you about trust (Navy Times) Imagine this: You're 6 feet, 5 inches tall, weigh 230 pounds and wear a 60-pound vest with assorted survival gear. You sleep only a very few hours during the day and you work mostly at night, carrying out the most critical and dangerous missions to protect the interests of the United States of America.  Base commander faces sex assault charge (Navy Times) The commanding officer of Naval Station Everett has been removed from his post, pending a preliminary hearing to face a charge of sexual assault, Navy Region Northwest said Monday.  Naval Academy works on accrediting cyber major (Navy Times) A Naval Academy dean said Monday that he hopes cybersecurity, a field of increasing importance to national security and civilian computer networks, can be accredited as a major by the time the academy's first cybersecurity students graduate in 2016.  Naval Aviators: Why So Underappreciated by Washington? (National Defense) The audience at Tailhook "understands why the nation needs us," Manazir said. "But I cannot get that story told in Washington, D.C. ... I cannot get anyone on the Sunday morning talk shows" to explain the value of naval aviation as an instrument of national security.  US and Ukraine launch navy drills in the Black Sea (Stars & Stripes) Exercise Sea Breeze 2014, a longstanding U.S. European Command exercise, will focus on maritime interdiction operations as a primary means to enhance maritime security.  AIR FORCE Ex-Air Force worker gets 3 years for trying to sell secrets to China (Associated Press) Prosecutors say Orr was a former civilian employee with the Air Force Research Laboratory in New York who worked on a computer network used to control military satellites.  Dover AFB airman jailed on child porn charges (Dover Post) An airman stationed at Dover Air Force Base, identified as Michael Gutierrez, 34, by Attorney General Beau Biden's office was charged Sept. 5 with dealing in child pornography following an investigation by the Delaware Child Predator Task Force.  General court-martial convicts officer (Schriever AFB Public Affairs) A 3rd Space Operations Squadron officer was convicted by a general court-martial July 22, at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo. on charges of assault and communicating a threat.   MARINE CORPS U.S. Marine Corps' Aggressive Move Into An Amphibious Future (USNI News) After 13 years of grinding land-based combat and counterinsurgency/nation-building, the Marine Corps has published a new capstone conceptual document that charts a new course into the future.  New ribbon for combat instructors (Marine Corps Times) After more than a decade of anticipation, the Marine Corps is unveiling a new ribbon for combat instructors. The change comes just weeks after the service announced cuts to special duty assignment pay.  First look at the new ribbon for Marine combat instructors (Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps has released the first images of the service's new combat instructor ribbon.  AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN Abdullah Remains in Afghanistan's Race, Urges Peace From Supporters (Wall Street Journal) Afghanistan averted the collapse of a historic political transition Monday when presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah stopped short of withdrawing from the disputed race and urged his supporters to refrain from violence.  Hopes for Afghan unity deal wane as candidate claims victory (Washington Post) The prospect of two candidates declaring themselves the elected successor to Afghan President Hamid Karzai grew significantly Monday, threatening the Obama's administration's efforts to prevent the country from erupting in political unrest.  Pakistan Protest Leader Imran Khan Vows to Keep Fighting (Wall Street Journal) Former cricket star Imran Khan has been waging his campaign to oust Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for 25 days from a shipping container set in the middle of the tent city inhabited by his supporters.  MIDDLE EAST Hagel Meets Turkish Leaders To Discuss Fight Against Islamic State (Defense News) US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met here Monday with Turkish dignitaries to discuss possible cooperation against the Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an army of radical Islamists that took large swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory in July and August.  U.S. expands airstrikes into western Iraq (Military Times) The U.S. military is coordinating some airstrikes with Sunni tribal militias on the ground in Iraq's Anbar Province after Islamic State militants began to build up forces near the Haditha Dam, a Pentagon official said Monday.  Iraq approves new government, opens way for expanded U.S. role (Washington Post) Under huge international and domestic pressure, Iraq swore in a new government on Monday, opening the way for an expansion of U.S. military support to fight Islamic extremists in the country.  How Kurds Came to Play a Central Role in U.S. Plans to Combat Islamic State (Wall Street Journal) The anti-Islamic State strategy the U.S. is developing first began to take shape a month ago after a series of increasingly urgent phone calls from this Kurdish city.  Kissinger: What U.S. must do to battle Islamic State (USA Today) As President Obama prepares to address the nation on the threat by the Islamic State, Henry Kissinger says the United States needs to strike the terror group in retaliation for the decapitation of two American journalists, then eliminate it "as an operating force in the region."  Israel's 4th Nuclear-capable Sub En Route to Home Base (Defense News) The INS Tanin, Israel's fourth of six planned Dolphin-class submarines, has departed Howaldtswerke-Deutche Werft (HDW) shipyard in Kiel, Germany, for the 4,000-mile trip to its home port in Haifa.  Fall naval exercise aims to keep international waterways free (Stars & Stripes) The U.S. Navy plans to host a large-scale international mine countermeasures exercise in the Middle East this fall, U.S. 5th Fleet officials announced Sunday.  Arab League issues proclamation on ISIS (CBS News) The Arab League agreed Monday to take urgent measures to combat extremists like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as one of its suicide bombers killed 16 people at a meeting of Sunni tribal fighters and security troops in Iraq.  Social Media's Very Arab Future (Defense One) The future of Twitter, YouTube and a variety of other social networks is going to look and sound a lot more Arabic in the years ahead, at least according to data on Twitter usage across the Arabic-speaking world. And if current trends continue, the emerging Arabic social media landscape will also be a lot more anti-American.  EUROPE U.S. Delegation Is to Visit Moscow to Review Claims of a Missile Violation (New York Times) With the prospects for future cooperation on arms control hanging in the balance, the Obama administration is sending a team of senior officials to Moscow this week to try to resolve American allegations that Russia has violated a landmark nuclear accord.  Ukrainian president makes front-line visit as fragile cease-fire holds (Washington Post) Ukraine's president took advantage of a fragile cease-fire to tour a once-embattled port city Monday and tell backers that his forces would never yield the territory to pro-Russian rebels.  Malaysian Airliner Was Downed by 'High-Energy Objects,' Dutch Investigators Say (New York Times) A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet that went down over a war zone in eastern Ukraine in July was struck by "high-energy objects from outside the aircraft," Dutch officials leading the investigation of the crash said in a preliminary report published on Tuesday.  Don't Expect a Pivot To Europe Anytime Soon (National Journal) Once again, President Obama finds himself reassuring allies while also imploring them to do more. Is NATO listening?  Brushing Off Threats, E.U. Votes to Toughen Its Sanctions on Russia (New York Times) Unswayed by threats of retaliation from Moscow, including a possible ban on airlines from Europe flying over Russia, European leaders on Monday endorsed an expansion of economic sanctions against Russia, but backed off putting the new measures into effect immediately.  Russian PM warns west against further sanctions (The Guardian) The Russian prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, has said Moscow would respond to any new western sanctions "asymmetrically," possibly preventing airlines flying through Russian airspace, if the US and EU press on with "the temptation to use force in international relations".  What would happen if Russia closed its airspace to Western airlines? (Washington Post) With new European Union sanctions looming over Russia, the country has announced that it considered blocking international flights through its airspace. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev referred to Western airlines in general, but in reality such restrictions would mainly hit European airlines which offer direct flights to Asia. The necessity to "bypass our airspace ... could drive many struggling airlines into bankruptcy," Medvedev was quoted as saying Monday in the Russian business newspaper Vedomosti.  Export authorisations linked to mergers in Germany (Aviation Week) Gabriel wants a ban on German defense exports until a transparent system for approving such exports is set up to replace the current secretive approval process used by the Federal Security Council.  Dutch F-16s join Baltic Air Policing Mission (IHS Jane's 360) Five Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) will operate alongside aircraft from Canada, Germany, and Portugal.  ASIA-PACIFIC CAE opens training centre in Brunei (IHS Jane's 360) The government of Brunei and CAE, the Canadian developer of simulation systems, inaugurated on 8 September a jointly run centre to support the training of Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF).  Chinese Rights Campaigner Will Be Tried This Week, Lawyer Says (New York Times) Yang Maodong, a human rights activist who has long been at the forefront of contentious causes in southern China, will stand trial there this week on a charge of assembling a crowd to disrupt public order, his lawyer and his sister said on Tuesday. They said Mr. Yang was sure to fight the charge, despite being equally certain that he would be convicted and imprisoned.  Philippines Closer to Approving Autonomous Muslim Region (Wall Street Journal) Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said Monday that he will personally submit to Congress a bill that would create the Bangsamoro, an autonomous area in the southern region of Mindanao that is expected to settle a decades-old Muslim separatist rebellion and spur growth in a resource-rich part of the country.  AFRICA Ebola outbreak: Pentagon to set up field hospital in Liberia (Military Times) The Pentagon will send and staff a 25-bed field hospital to Monrovia, Liberia, as part of President Obama's plan to provide assistance in containing the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.  Ebola outbreak is a unique 'perfect storm' (USA Today) The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa is distinctly different from any over the last 40 years, several public health officials said Monday, making it far more challenging to control.  In Liberia, Ebola strengthens its hold (Washington Post) In Liberia's capital of Monrovia, taxis filled with families crisscross the city, searching in vain for a facility with space to treat loved ones infected with the Ebola virus. Children orphaned by the disease and shunned by other relatives have nowhere to go. The government's main hospital is plagued by floods and electrical fires, and several employees have succumbed to Ebola.  COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS Why Women Do Not Belong in the U.S. Infantry (Capt Lauren F. Serrano in Marine Corps Gazette) While reading the February issue of the Marine Corps Gazette, I skimmed past the "Be Bold" advertisement calling for readers to submit articles that challenge a Marine Corps policy or way of doing business.  By the Numbers: U.S. Military Brain Drain (John G. Swisher in Real Clear Defense) As the defense budget tightens and the armed forces draw down, military brass face difficult choices in reshaping the services for the future. Fundamental to force structure reductions are decisions about personnel: who exactly should comprise this smaller force?  Searching for a Strategy to Defeat ISIS (Retired Navy Cmdr. Daniel Dolan in USNI News) The war theorist Carl Von Clausewitz stated, "If you can vanquish all your enemies by defeating one of them, that defeat must be the main objective in the war."   On Islamic State, now it's Congress's move (Walter Pincus in The Washington Post) President Obama's success in leading an international coalition against the Islamic State depends initially on getting bipartisan support here at home.  Full-Spectrum Engagement: Better than War (Eric Jorgensen in Cicero Magazine) In a recent piece called, Peace and War: The Space Between, Nadia Schadlow does a great job explaining how U.S. foreign policy often turns to the military instrument of power by default because our national leaders fail to attend to the space between war and peace. Schadlow calls that space "a landscape churning with political, economic, and security competitions that require constant attention."  A Case for Edward Snowden's Immunity (Yochai Benkler in The Atlantic) Reform that tries to rebuild the well-behaved aspects of the system but ignores the critical circuit-breaker role played by unauthorized whistleblowing is set up for failure.  Send in the Guerrillas (Whitney Kassel in Foreign Policy) In a world where our enemies don't wear uniforms, our allies don't have to, either.  How the Lessons of Iraq Are Shaping the Fight Against the Islamic State (Col. Stephen Liszewski at the Council on Foreign Relations) One of the key lessons from those conflicts is the importance of patience and restraint when responding to enemy aggression.  Article misrepresented honorable work of recruiters (Letter: Air Force Times) In my opinion, the Sept. 8 cover story on the Air Force Recruiting Service is a gross misrepresentation of the profession I've had the honor of serving in the past 18 years.  Getting ready for war, this time don't forget a plan for peace (Eugenio Lilli in Kings of War) Let's pretend for a moment that this US-led international military campaign is effective in rolling back IS forces from the territories they have seized astride Iraq and Syria. Who is going to secure and govern such territories?  Lessons Learned: Intel Constraints and Israel's Gaza Incursion (Andrew Marvin in War on the Rocks) Israel has a first-rate air force and a strong capability to perform precision strike. Why then, in this most recent conflict with Hamas in Gaza, did it deal with rockets and tunnels through a costly, destructive, and unpopular ground incursion?  How U.S. Allies Can Counter China's Strategy (Robert Haddick in Real Clear Defense) America's allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region are an indispensable component of any successful U.S. strategy. These relationships are vital, both for the political legitimacy of America's regional strategy and for supporting any military strategy.

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